My writer friends love to talk about a fantastic genealogy research trip they took. France? Sicily? Not me. My trip had humbler origins. Alabama. Why, you ask? The next book of my Family Threads trilogy takes place partly in Germany and mostly in Alabama.

While I wish I could have pulled off a trip to Herrischried, in southwestern Germany’s Southern Black Forest/Hotzenwald area, close to the Swiss border, to research my great-great-grandfather Wendolyn Seibold, it wasn’t in the cards. So, I settled for Guntersville, Alabama, where he spent most of his life. My mother’s family has had a presence there since 1819, and family still lives in the area today. Best of all, my cousin, Thomas Rains, joined me on all facets of the adventure.

ALABAMA GENEALOGY RESEARCH TRIP STOPS IN GUNTERSVILLE

The Guntersville Museum was my first stop. This awesome museum’s patron was my distant cousin, Sonny Lewis. He had an amazing career in costume design, including creating elaborate headdresses for a Las Vegas casino, costumes for  Barbara Streisand’s movie “Funny Girl,” and working on “Laugh-In.” Sadly, he died two years ago. I wish I’d been able to visit with him one last time.

The museum has a fantastic exhibit, showing the owners of property who were displaced by the Tennessee Valley Authority when it flooded the Tennessee River to provide electricity in the 1930s. Our grandparents lost our ancestral home and moved to Tennessee.

The Marshall County Archives was my next stop, where the Guntersville Historical Society welcomed me and my cousin with open arms. They pulled files and directed me to information I was seeking. I’d like to shout out my thanks to (from left to right) Tyrus Dorman, Chip Manning, myself, Larry Smith, and Bill Millican. Not pictured are Pete Sparks,  and Macey Taylor. Danny Maltbie and I are together at the Albertville Museum. I can’t thank them enough for everything they did to help me make the stories come to life.

ALABAMA GENEALOGY RESEARCH TRIP STOP IN DECATUR

The most fascinating stop of the week was at the Decatur, Alabama archives. Archivist John Allison (pictured below with me) dished up some juicy information regarding our ancestor, Riverboat Captain Simp McKee. The illustrious captain and entrepreneur is the only ancestor Thomas and I have in common who is museum-quality. The picture below is of the archivist and me standing in front of the museum exhibit. The exhibit concerns his bawdy house. He was also a part owner of saloons.

One particular treasure I obtained on this trip is the divorce decree between the woman who became the madam of his enterprise and her husband. He blamed the captain for causing the marital split, and even had witnesses testify. As we left, one of the assistants reminded me not to forget his pig, which drank beer.

And no, I am not going to spill the gossip here. You will have to wait until the book comes out.

MY FAVORITE PART OF THE GENEALOGY RESEARCH TRIP

The best part of the trip was getting to know my cousin, Thomas, his wife, Carolyn, and his family better. Although we are first cousins, we have never lived close to each other, with my family having resided in Texas except for one year when we lived in Decatur, Alabama. Thomas spent the majority of his life in Alabama and Tennessee.

Thomas escorted me everywhere and was vital in making contacts with the historical gurus in Guntersville. We shared stories about ourselves and our ancestors and visited our cousin, Becky Seibold, who resides in a nursing home there. We drove through the unflooded area where Thomas had taken our grandmother to search for a pear tree she had on the property before they were forced to leave.

From Left to Right: Ancestors of Simp McKee at his grave site. Sandy Kisiel, Marie Watts, Sonny Lewis, and Thomas Rains (2018)

LAST THOUGHTS ABOUT MY GENEALOGY RESEARCH TRIP

While I was reassured that I can count on much of the research I had done from afar, I gained nuggets that will make my story richer. Just standing on the land where my ancestors trod gave me a sense of belonging.

I’d love it if you’d join me!

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